While I was visiting our LJ friend Jamie in Scotland, I had the luck to be invited to his friend Ronnie’s house.More exactly his wonderful little garden behind the house.

This is the view from Ron’s house, beautiful surroundings in Scotland. Trust me, the grass really is greener there!

Here we are Ron’s bungee lathe, in the little garden behind his house.How cool is that!Ronnie has a wonderful relaxed approach, KISS principe; Keep It Simple Stupid.And so his lathe is a made from bits and pieces, that he got from around.This gives it a really cool rustic look, which I like a lot.

Here from my little sketchbook.

The poppets are really simple build up, the rests are a part of the construction, rather than a add on and held by wedges.The iron centers are just screwed in, in a hole a bit smaller than the threaded rod.The tightener a bend piece of iron welded to the threaded rod.Here is my first go on the late (with a wee help from Ron – thank you).Ron wanted a saw holder for the lathe, so this was a perfect fist project.

So we will leave Ron here, in his wonderful little garden, look at the field behind – what a place to go and relax after work, I’m jealous in the most wonderful way.

Thank you Ron for a wonderful day, for passing your knowledge to me and for keeping the coffee streaming when I was there. It will be a sweet day in my memory for the years to come, and I think you will be the reason I build myself one of these at some point.

I'm a Danish architect form 1968, who have retired because of a spinal neck operation with a bad result. This is now giving me the chance to spend some time on my old passion 'woodworking', and allows me to work with all the lovely tools from different cultures of this world.

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Always great to see people making things with simple tools. It can be quite a free feeling to get away from the need for electricity. I have always wanted to make a pole lathe or bow lathe, but I don’t have a place for one indoors or out. Thanks for sharing this with us Mads. You had quite a woodworking adventure while visiting Scotland. I worked in Scotland and traveled around there quite a bit too. I have nothing but fond memories of the time I spent there.

Hi ho,Mike, yes it is really a way of freedom that opens up for our eyes. Jim, re-invention, but I feel this is happening all over the Western world now, the old values, more basic ways are slowly finding back as we become aware of how empty the life of growth is. (Why is it I always want to share this hope with you)?Ken, I also have to stick to my motor lathe, but this gave a so different feel, it touched the roots. Yes, so wonderful that there keep being people that look back as well as ahead.Lew, lets buy a island. ;-)Tim and Loren, smiles thank you.Pete, yes he is one of those, not too many questions, just do it!Don, I experience this also, the black web hole…tsangell, thank you.Wayne, so wonderful!littlecope, I will be high for a long time after this trip.Best thoughts,Mads